1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to PayStream?
I was volunteering at Manchester Museum having recently completing a degree in History at Durham University and wanting to pursue a career as a curator. I was on my way home when I got an unexpected call from a recruiter asking me if I’d ever heard of PayStream and whether I wanted to come to interview for the Compliance Assistant role. I admit, I had not heard of an Umbrella Company before, but with student loans to pay, I thought it was certainly worth giving it a shot and at the very least, it would help me gain a few months’ office experience while I decided on my career path. That was 9 years, 4 promotions, and 1 law degree ago. I think it’s safe to say, I haven’t looked back since!
2. What is a typical day at PayStream like?
Very varied. With ever-changing legislation and new trends across the industry, there is always something to keep us on our feet. As manager of our Regulatory Compliance team, a typical day can involve leading the Internal Audit function from handling external accreditations and due diligence requests to conducting various audits of business processes and assessing upcoming legislative changes to name just a few (all the while ensuring that our strong compliance values are maintained)!
3. How does PayStream compare to your previous workplaces?
There are far fewer artefacts and exhibits! As I’d never worked in an office before, it was a very different environment to what I had been used to, but the Compliance team made me feel very welcome, and it didn’t take long at all to settle in.
4. What three words would you use to describe PayStream?
Supportive, innovative, compliant.
5. What do you enjoy most about working at PayStream?
The people and the ethos. I have met so many great people in the past 9 years at PayStream, from those who have provided me with mentorship and professional support along the way, to those that I know will be friends for life. PayStream is invested in ensuring a supportive and welcoming culture in which all staff are encouraged to not only achieve their own goals, but work with others to help achieve theirs. Despite lots of changes and growth over the years, the quality of our staff has remained constant, as has the culture and it has been a pleasure being part of the PayStream team as the company has gone from strength to strength.
6. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I have been a big fan of musical theatre since a young age and having listened to the soundtrack of Josephs’ Technicolour Dreamcoat many (many) times, I can even name all the colours of the Dreamcoat from memory. A skill I should add to my CV perhaps?
7. What are your favourite things to do outside of work?
As well as listening to musical soundtracks, I enjoy playing guitar, going to gigs and really, anything music-related! I also love a city break so you can usually find me planning my next trip, or researching places to add to the ever-growing bucket list!
Are you a PayStream Person?
We are really proud to say that Carmel's PayStream success story is just one of many. That’s because we understand that our employees are our greatest asset so we put our people at the heart of everything we do.
When recruiting we look for like-minded individuals who will embrace the culture of the company, which is why we've developed a 'PayStream Person' which we believe encapsulates our star performers and therefore, in every new recruit we look for the following qualities: bright, personable, adaptable and a strong work ethic.
So if PayStream sounds like it would be a good fit for you and you are interested in joining the team email careers@paystream.co.uk.
